Perth professional Brody Martin held firm in difficult conditions to win the 2021 Sanwell Cottesloe Open yesterday after he made a superb clutch up-and-down on the final green.
The 26-year-old’s seven-under-par total saw him win by a stroke from veteran Matt Millar, former European Tour member Jason Norris and Lake Karrinyup amateur Simon Liddell at the 36-hole tournament.
Martin notched a course record six-under-par 66 at the oceanside course on Saturday to hold a share of the lead with Brett Rumford going into the final round.
Playing in the final group, Martin got off to a fast start with a birdie at the first hole to hold the lead on his own.
While he was never headed all day, it was five straight pars on the way back to the clubhouse in testing weather that proved to be the difference.
The wind was there all day but conditions were quite tough, especially on the last three holes,” Martin said.
I knew on the 16th I was one ahead and made a really good par there to settle the nerves.
Then I got on the green for two at the par five 17th and made a par but I knew heading up the 18th I needed to grind out another one.
After finding the sand with his approach shot to the 18th green, Martin flicked a perfect bunker shot to inside an inch.
The ball was sitting good in the bunker with no sand on it,” Martin said.
I was hoping to flick it out to four feet but it ended up rolling out a little more.
It was a relief to grab my putter off my wife, who was caddying for me, and tap it in.
Millar equalled the course record earlier in the day in the final round while a bogey cost Norris a share of the lead on his final hole.
Martin led in the final round of last year’s WA Open before finishing third to amateur Hayden Hopewell. Cottesloe amateur Michael Hanrahan-Smith also equalled the course record yesterday to finish tied sixth, and sixteen year old Josiah Gilbert carded a 67 on day 1, showing tremendous future promise.
Lake Karrinyup’s Simon Liddell confidently won the Kelly Rogers Medal, awarded to the leading amateur in the tournament, commemorating the great late Cottesloe Champion Kelly Rogers, who won the first four Cottesloe Opens and seven in all. Thirty two year old Simon, a mining engineer is the current Lake Karrinyup course record holder, and a worthy winner of this prestigious title, coming home strong with a string of three birdies. Simon credits his golfing success to coach Craig “ Bish” Bishop. “My coach is a great guy. I focussed on implementing the information he delivers to me – he’s got it worked out, do the reps and do what he says and your game will get better. It certainly worked today.”
A full leaderboard can be viewed at https://pga.org.au/tournament/?tourn=8102&season=2021&class=all
